Pros: Eventful and fun plot
Cons: Characters are weak
The Bottom Line:
Counterfeit money
Start the Hardys on new case
Fun for young readersThe Hardys Take on Counterfeiters
I know I read The Secret of the Old Mill years ago when I was a boy, but I didn’t remember
much about the story until I started reading the first chapter. Suddenly, the big picture of the plot came
back to me. Not that it kept me from
enjoying the book a second time.
Frank and Joe Hardy’s father Fenton Hardy, the famous
detective, is returning to town, and they’ve gone to the train station with
their friend Chet to pick him up. While
they are waiting for his train, Chet is passed a counterfeit bill. Naturally, Frank and Joe become interested in
trying to find the counterfeiters.
Meanwhile, Fenton is working on a case he can’t discuss with
his sons, and something strange is happening out at the new factory on the edge
of town. Things only get more
interesting when Fenton receives a threatening note. But which case is the note warning him away
from?
As you can see, there is plenty here to keep young readers
interested. While a few of the bigger
plot points are obvious to adults early on, watching how the Hardys piece
things together is still fun. Kids will
certainly be hooked to find out just what is going. Plus, there are several exciting events that
happen along the way toward the climax.
I never noticed as a kid, but the characters in these books
are rather weak. The emphasis is on action
over realistic characters or character development. Honestly, I never minded as a kid, and I’m
sure today’s kids won’t mind either.
The biggest issue might be how dated elements of the plot
are, starting with Fenton Hardy traveling by train. Who does that anymore?
The Hardy Boys books are fast reads, but they are still
fun. The Secret of the Old Mill is a book that fans of the brothers will gobble up
and be left wanting to read more.
I never read much of the Hardy Boys though what I did read was pretty fun. I think they got into more exciting adventures than Nancy Drew though she did get hit over the head a pretty good bit. I'd be curious to see what kids today think of the dated issues. I don't remember them bothering me very much but things are SO different now I imagine it'd be like reading about another planet.
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